Electric switch.



No. 63mm: Patented Aug. 29, I899.

J; w. HEARN. ELECTRIC SWITCH.

(No lllodl.)

(Application med. Feb. 7, 1899.)

WITNESSES.

ATTORNE Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN W. IIEARN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y..

.ELECTRiC Sl/VITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 631,791, dated n useae, 1899.

I Application filed February 7,1899. Serial No, 704,796. (No model .i

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN W. HEARN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, borough of Brooklylnin the county of Kings and State of New York, have made and invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Switches, of which the following is a specification. a

My invention relates to an improvement in electric switches, and more particularly toimprovements upon the switch shown and described in Lettersvlatent granted to me July 23, 1895, and numbered 543,181. At the time that the above-mentioned patent was secured by me much shorter rails were in use than is the case at the present time, and therefore itwas desirable in the case of my former switchto insulate two sections'of the rail to insure {the proper working of the device. At the present time, however, it is the gener'alrule rthat'longer sections of rails are used, in most instances about sixty feet in length, and it is the object of my present invention to so con struct and arrange the several parts of the switch that but one section of the rail be in sulated. As in my former deg/ice, the pres out invention contemplates the use of the cur rent, after passing through the motor of the car, to operate the switch-point without the employment or addition of any extra parts,

appliances; or devices upon the car itself, but, on the other hand,,to so construct and an range the switch the motorman may simply allow his .car to proceed-in case the switch point or tongue is properly'set, the current; which propels the car being utilized to hold it in this adjustment, and, further, that it upon his approach to the switch the point or tongue be improperly set he may by simply cutting oil? the current foran instant and then turning it on again properly set the switch, thereby in both instances utilizing the cur rent for maintaining the switch-point in its proper position or moving it to its 'p'roperposition. g i

With these and other ends'in view my invention consists in the employment of two magnets, so arranged with relation to their two-armatures secured at opposite ends of a lever as, to move the switch-point in opposite directions, and a movable contact operated by a third magnet for the purpose of exciting one or the other of the two switclmnagnets to properly set theswitoh-point.

My invention further consists in certain novel'featn'res of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims. g In the accompanying drawings, Figure Us a plan view of my'improved switch, the box containing the magnets, armatures, and ic vers being cut away to show the latter parts. Fig. 2 is a side viewof the movable contact with its controlling-magnet. Fig. 3 is a front end view of the same. Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the linet 4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is aview taken on the lin e5 5 of Fig. 2. Fig. .G'iss rear end view of the movable contact shown in Fig.2, and Fig. 7 shows a modified form of the contact-arm.

- Referring to the drawings, A represents the ear-rails, B the insulated section thereof, and C the switch-rail, the section 13, located just forward of the switch, beiug'insulated from the other portions oftherails.

- D represents the switch point or tongue, pivoted ata. Near the switch is located a well or receptacle "E, as shown in Fig. 1, the top or.v cover thereof being broken away to expose the magnets and other devices for ope crating-the switch-point. To the bottom, of the box or. receptacle E is centrally pivoted a level-b, td the ends of which are in turn pivotcd iihe armatures b c, the opposite ends box E. The sWitch-tongue'l) is provided with f a pin or lug d, which passes down intoan opening or recess formed in the lever 13 to re- T ceive it, the above par-tsthat is, the may nets, levers armaturcs, and switch-pointbeing constructed and arranged to operate as shown and described in my aforesaid-patcut, and hence neednot here be described with greater detail, it being sufficient to say that when the magnet G is excited the armature 0 will be pulled toward the same, thus pulling the respective end of the lever 12 in; the same direction and the opposite end of the lever in the opposite direction,the switch tongue assuming the position as illustrated in Fig. l, of the" drawings. it will of course behnderstood that when the magnet I is ex cited the switch-point, through the medium of the leverb and armature Z), will be forced in the opposite direction-in other words, in a position to allow the car to pass onto the switch-rails C.

Within the box E and between the magnets F and G or in some other desirable or convenient place is located a movable contact the purpose of which is to direct or conduct the current to either one of the magnets F or G, as desired, in order that the switchtongue maybe maintained in its posit-ion or changed to its oopositc position, in accordance with the direction in which it;,is desired the car shall proceed. The movable contact consists of a rod or shaft 1, mounted in the standards or brackets 2, secured to the base 3, which in turn rests upon and is secured to the bottom of the box or receptacle E. Above this shaft is supported, in any desired manner, a solenoid i, 5 representing the core or armature in the form of a bar or rod, the lower end of this armature 5 being pivotally connected to one end of the bell-crank lever 6, which latter is-loosely mounted on the shaft] and promade of rubber or other insulating material and secured to the base 3. The number of these pins correspond with. the number of the teeth in the ratchet 8, in the present instancethree pins 10 being employed, which are electrically connected, and three pins 11, which are electrically connected as shown in Fig. 6, thus in effect forming two contacts.

" To the plate 12 is secured a metal ring 13,

which is electrically connected by means of a. wire 14 with the solenoid a, a lug or projection 15, formed on the arm 9, bearing on the ring 13, thus always insuring an electrical contact between said arm 9 and said ring;

From the contact-pins 10 leads a wire 16 to the magnet G, and from the contact-pins 11 leads a wire 17 to the magnet F, this arrangement resulting in the excitement of either the magnet F when the arm 9 is in contact with one of the pins 11, or the magnet G when the arm 9 is in contact with one of the pins 3.0. In other words, when thecar passes onto the insulated rails B the current after passing through the motor and wheels of the car is directed through the wire 18, connecting the in: la ed rails to the solenoid 4, which is immediately excited,and thereupon raises the arm 5. The current passing through the wii e lto the ring 13 is directed through the lug 15, which is in contact therewith through the arm i), and to the pin 10, from which the wire lii'lcads the current to the magnet G. This magnet ugmn being excited by the current draws the armature toward it, thereby, as before described, moving the lever b and switch-point D to the positions as illustrated in Fig. l of the drawings. Iresuming that the switch is thus set right the mctorma'n procoeds upon the main line. Ii, however, he desires to go upon the branch, it will only be necessaryfor him, while on the insulated rails 13, to cut oif the on rrcnt for an instant, whereupon the arm will immediately full by its own weight to a position as illustrated in Figs. 2 audfi, thus turning the shaft 1., as before described, and moving the arm 9 from the cottact-pin to the contact-pi n 11, the elfect being that the current is directed from the solenoid a through the wire 1-1, through the ring 13,1ug 15, arm .i,pin ll,through the wire 17 to the magnet 1:, which is thereby excited and draws the arn'iaturc toward it, thus shifting the switch-point l) iolho opposite position, (not illustrate-(h) and thereby allowing the car to proceed upon the branch.

From the foregoing itwill be understood that by reason of the construction and arrange ment of the several parts the motorman upon passing onto the insulated rails 13 will allow his car to proceed, provided the switch tongue or point is moved to its proper position. It. it happen that the switch-point is moved to the wrong p0sition,-it will simply be necessary for him to turn oil the current fora moment and then turn it on again, this operation resulting in moving the contact-arm to the proper contact-pin for excitin the mag-- net for moving the switch-point from the wrong position to the right one. It will further be understood that the switch-point is moved into bot-h positions by means of the current operating to drive the car, instead of into one position by means of a weight or gravity or bya spring, as has in many instancesheretofore been done. In other words, in my invention I rely upon gravity for partially operating the contact-point and not upon gravity for operating or moving the switch-point.

I would have it understood that I do not limit my invention to the exact construction and arran genientof the several details herein shown and described, as any one skilled in the art will readily understand that such details,both in construction and arrangement, may be varied in man-y ways without departing from the spirit and scope of my inventie". For instance, instead of f rming he contact-arm 0 with one single arm it 1..=ght be made with two or more, Fig. 7 showing such part made with .three arms 20, the end of each of which will clnne in contact with the three contactpins IO or the three contact-pins 11, thus rendering it more certain that a perfect contact will be made and the current properly directed to the magnets 1 and G. Again, it will be understood that instead of having a section of the rail immediately forward of the switch insulated, as shown in Fig. 1, said insulated section may include the casting or bed-plate for supporting the switch-' point, this construction and arrangementop eratingto hold or lock the switch-point in its proper position while the car is upon said insulated section. It will befurther understood that instead of arranging or locating the'niovable contact within the box or rec'eptacle'hold ing the switch-magnets it may be located at any distance therefrdin or in any convenient place-as, for instance, upon a pole or postwhere access may be conveniently had to the same. Further, instead of using a solenoid 4, as described, with thepost or core 5, anordinary magnet may be substituted therefor, the armature being made in an yform desired, the only requirement being that such armature will drop or fall in orderto rotate the shaft and thereby move the contaett'arm from one contact pin or point to'the other, and, finally, instead of relying upon gravity for the falling or dropping of the armature a spring of any desirable form may be employed for assisting the fall thereof. As such changes will be readily understood by persons skilled in the art, further illustration or description of. such is unnecessary.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is r 1. In an electric switclnthe combination with two switch-magnets, of armaturesindirectly connected with the switchpoint for moving the same in opposite directions, and a movable contact connected with said magnets for alternately exciting the same, said contact consisting of a solenoid and an armature, ar-

ranged to move the contact arm from one contact-pin to the other, substantially as described. *2. In an electric switch, the combination with two switch-magnets, of armatures indirectly connected with the switch-point for moving the same in opposite directions, and a a movable contact connected with said magnets and consisting of a solenoid and an-arniature connected with a shaft for rotating the same,

.said shaft-having an arm thereon, and contact-pins connected with said switch-magnets and' with which pins said arm comes in contact, for alternately exciting said magnets oid, an armature connected with a shai t, and

contact pins electrically connected with said magnets and with which pins said arm comes in contact, and a ring upon which said. contact-arm bears, and with which the solenoid is electrically connected, whereby the switchmagnets are alternately excited, and the switch-point moved in opposite directions,

substantially as describe 4. In an electric switch, the combination with two magnets for moving thes'witch-point in opposite directions, of a movable contact for alternately excitin jsaid switch-magnets,

said contact consisting eta solenoid, a post or armature adaptedto be raised thereby when said solenoidis excited, a shaft-adapted to be rotated by said post or armature, a contactarlnon said shaft, a plate formed of insulatmg material, contact-pins secured to said plate and connected with said magnets, and

a ring securedto'said plate upon whi'ch'ring' said arm bearsand which is electrically connected with saidfsolen'oid, substantial] y as described. k g

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 8th dayof February, A. D. 1899.

JOHN \V. IIEARN.

' Vlitnes'ses:

G. BANCKER, M. VANNQETWICK. 

